How Good Will the Gators be This Year?

Florida Gators logo

Anyone following this blog knows this author is a Gator fan. There are probably plenty of people who disagree with me on my choice of schools, but that is perfectly okay with me. Choice is not necessarily a bad thing here. Personally, I can’t understand why anyone would beg to differ with me on this matter, but it does happen.

Along with scores of other collegiate fans, I am patiently awaiting the start of the football season, and especially SEC play. There just is no other conference that can match the intensity, strength, speed and power of the teams which make up the Southeastern Conference of Division 1 football. Sure, there are lots of conferences which have powerful, high-quality teams, but when the entire conference is examined together, I would have to declare the SEC a definite winner.

It certainly looks like the Florida Gators will be a strong contender for another shot at the BCS National Title; the offense is truly impressive and the defense has come back practically intact from last year. There are several new players to watch out for this year on both sides of the ball – players who have shown great progress during the summer and who will definitely be able to make positive contributions to the team effort.

There is one question mark that definitely needs to be answered, and I believe Gator fans are ready to see the results. What will this team do without Percy Harvin? The talented play maker is no longer wearing orange and blue with his former team mates as he opted to turn pro. I wish him much success in this endeavor. Many will tell you they wish he would have stayed for another year, but that didn’t happen and we must move on.

According to Orlando Sentinel Staff Reporter Jeremy Fowler, Jeff Demps and Andre Debose have big shoes to fill, but by all accounts, that task is looking pretty good. These two guys are not only speedy, but have working hard to learn the Gator system and are being coached to carry out a variety of roles. It’s not about individual brilliance, but it is about how well these guys can can help the team win.

One more thing, then I’ll go for now. We do have a pretty good quarterback in the person of Tim Tebow. While talking with a Penn State fan today, I heard the typical remark about Tebow’s shortcomings and how he’s not a great quarterback. Watch out everyone, the man is healthy for the first time in a long while. Tebow is a great leader who knows how to work and get his team mates on the same page with him.

With all that’s going on at Florida, it looks like a good year. Are there any Florida Gator fans out there?

Pastor Appreciation Day – May 3, 2009

There’s really no way to describe the day we had at Liberty Lighthouse Church of God today as the congregation and friends honored my wife and me. It was our day to relax and enjoy wonderful fellowship and the presence of the Lord along with everyone else. Understand, we always enjoy the presence of the Lord, but this time we were asked to sit back and others would carry the load, which they did quite admirably.

Our children sang a song for my wife and me; you should have been there to see it. For your viewing pleasure, just click on this Facebook link. Those little ones sang their hearts out and we sure enjoyed hearing them. Our granddaughter is the one on the far right. She’s a tender-hearted little girl who shows her emotions in a powerful way.

A dear friend of ours, Sister Connie Beck, preached a powerful message about the role of a pastor. She spoke both from personal experience as a pastor’s wife and knowing my wife and me since before we were married. Sister Connie has a wonderful anointing on her life and speaks with a strong voice about things she is compassionate about. Our people were not only blessed to hear this woman of God, they were also challenged by what she had to say.

Our drama team was also included in the service, and they really did an outstanding job. They give everything they have when performing, and our people were moved by the dramas they chose to perform. When they blessed us with the one about God breaking chains off those who have been so bound by the power of the devil, the people were deeply moved. They really outdid themselves.

For those of you who are not familiar with Pastor Appreciation Day, let me explain something to y0u that might give you and idea of why we like them so much. Our church ladies certainly can cook, and that’s a big part of this grand event. After the morning service, we made our way to where the meal and tables had been set up. The people outdid themselves making the room look festive and comfortable. I was really pleased as there were orange and blue table cloths scattered around for all to enjoy. Orange and blue, you ask? Go, Gators!

There were so many people who made this day happen, it would be impossible to thank them all. I don’t have pictures of all of them, either. To those of you who worked so tirelessly to make this a special day for the Liberty Lighthouse Church of God and my wife and me, thank you. You will never know how much this means to us.

The Preacher and a Coffee Club

Coffee Cup

There’s a morning routine at our house that is good for everyone involved. Our two granddaughters live with us and go to a great public school nearby. It is my distinct privilege to take them to school most every morning, and sometimes pick them up in the afternoon. This has been going on for several years, and the girls love “Pappy” to be involved in their lives like that.

A little over a month ago, I had just come home from a hospital visit when one of the pastors in my Pastoral Covenant Group called to ask if I would ride with him for a visit. One of the pastors was in our group was having some tests run, and we were going to visit. Naturally, I said we would go, so he came by and picked me up. The pastors in our group really care about each other, and have been building our covenant relationship for several years.

On the way to the hospital, we stopped at a particular gas station that has quite a large variety of coffee to choose from. Normally, when I drink coffee, it’s black with just a little black thrown in for good measure. This time, however, the Pumpkin Spice called pretty loudly, and I was hooked. Filling my stainless steel travel cup for $1.06 (including tax) felt pretty good, and was greatly appreciated seeing how my friend paid for it.

In the days following, I had to visit that gas station again … again … again. One morning, after dropping the girls off at school, I decided a cup of coffee would hit the spot, so off I went. This time I was greeted by a retired Air Force Chief Master Sergeant (still teaching, BTW) and some other guys of like ilk. It wasn’t long until we had introduced ourselves, and a friendship began to grow. We see each other pretty regularly now, as that stainless steel coffee cup needs to be refilled from time to time.

We talk about a variety of subjects, but one of them really catches my interest. You see, there are Florida Gator fans, and some stealth Florida State University fans, too. The discussions are interesting, but never get out of hand. One of the guys wears an Auburn phone case, but his heart is purely Gator. One of his daughters went to school there, so I can understand the display of the Auburn symbol. Now, the FS-who? guys are an altogether different matter.

In the last couple of visits, I have seen something new take place in this small coffee club. Now when I walk into the place, they say “you better be good, the preacher’s here.” I appreciate the sentiment, but I would rather them not have to say that in the first place. Today, for the first time, they said I was part of their club, and that made me feel good. I never asked, but just wanted to hang around them and share the love of Christ while sipping on a cup of coffee. We all have fun and sometime I get to answer questions of eternal importance – how awesome is that?

I love to read about the Apostle Paul. This man knew what it was to present Christ to those who wouldn’t listen, and to those who received his message. He knew what it was like to be beaten, mocked, snake-bitten, left for dead and how to walk in faith. One of my favorite scriptures is what Paul wrote regarding his witness to those who needed Christ:

I Corinthians 9:22-23 ESV
22  To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak.  I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel,  that I may share with them in its blessings.

There is a wonderful book written by our General Overseer, Dr. Raymond Culpepper, entitled No Church Left Behind, which uses an acrostic for a G.R.E.A.T. church. One of the letters represents a relational church, and is part of what makes a church relevant in today’s society. Relationships are built over a period of time; they are not always instant successes. Followers of Christ must develop relationships if we are going to be a positive influence in the world we live in.

What about you? Are you building relationships in your “coffee club?” Tell me about them.

Happy Campers at the University of Florida

After winning their second BCS title in three years, the Florida Gators are in a good position to come back next year and do it all over again. That’s a sweet sound to Gator fans all over; it’s probably not good news to the rest of the SEC. To carry it a step further, there’s probably not many other fans outside Gainseville who are happy about Tebow and some other key players returning for another year.

During a celebration held in Gainseville Sunday, Tim Tebow said he was ready to go for another title. I think the young man has a sense of humor and can bring great emotion to a crowd. After his speech and as he was heading back to his seat, he said

”Oh, and by the way, one more thing,” Tebow told the crowd, not to mention a statewide TV audience. “Let’s do it again — I’m coming back.”

All the pieces to the puzzle are not in place yet, but Tebow is a big part of it. It would be nice to have Percy Harvin and Brandon Spikes back for another year, but they didn’t let anyone know about their plans. Harvin meets with Coach Meyer this week and has to declare by next Sunday whether or not he will return; the same goes for Spikes.

Much has been written about Tim Tebow, and rightfully so. He will be the first to tell anyone, however, he played quarterback on a team whose players worked together as a well-oiled machine. Yes, he was honored by winning the offensive player of the BCS Championship game. He has a high-powered supporting cast, to be sure.

Here’s a video of what Coach Urban Meyer calls the play of the game. Ahmad Black intercepts Oklahoma’s Heisman quarterback Sam Bradford during the 4th quarter. What a play! You’ll probably want to watch it several times to get the feel of how spectacular that play was.

Ahmad Black intercepts Sam Bradford

What about you? Would you like to see another BCS Championship title come to Gainseville?

Gators and 2:26 to Go – National Champs Again

Well, there’s not much time left in this hard-fought game, and it looks like the Gators will once again hold the BCS national title. Both teams are certainly worthy of the title, but it looks like Florida just had too much firepower for the Sooner’s defense.

Both quarterbacks played exceptionally well, but both threw uncharacteristic interceptions. Tebow threw more tonight than he did during the whole season. Sam Bradford followed suit with a couple of interceptions, too. In the end, though, Tebow pulled out all the stops and gave the Sooner defense more than they could handle. My hope is for both of these fine athletes to come back to finish their college education.

I don’t believe Oklahoma faced a team with the speed and talent of Florida this football season, but my hat’s definitely off to them for the way they played. In reality, I thought the score would be more than it was, but 24 to 14 is okay with me. Florida has so many weapons in every area of the game and it can be overwhelming for any opposing team to handle.

Gator sitting on the couch

Some of you may remember me asking you a question in this post regarding which chair to watch the game in. Well, I didn’t wheel my Gator chair into the den; it was the couch for me as my Westie and I enjoyed the game together. BTW, our four year old West Highland White Terrier is aptly named … Gator. Actually, he slept almost all the way through the game, but woke up for the finale.

What a game! Honestly, I’m impressed with the Sooners because they really came to play. They fought hard, but were just overmatched.  Congratulations to both teams for a spectacular season.

Here’s a question for you: should the BCS National Champions, Florida Gators, be No. 1 in the country?

Florida Gators – One More Game

With only one more game to play, the Florida Gators and Oklahoma Sooners are making adjustments and honing their game plans for tomorrow night’s national championship contest. Both teams have compiled extraordinary statistics this season, and have proven themselves to be worthy to play against each other in the title game.

The Big 12 Division champs and BCS #1 Sooners have been to the dance many times before, and have walked away with the national title seven times; the most recent was in 2000. Could this be the year they bring home another title? Not likely.

Florida owns the SEC title, and is BCS #2. The Gators are looking for their third BCS national title, and certainly have a good shot at bringing home another trophy. That would look good along with the two other titles won in 1996 and 2006. Go, Gators!

Both teams feature superb quarterbacks, offenses, defenses and special teams. Each head coach has been successful while compiling very similar stats; this will be an exciting game, without a doubt. Many sports analysts boil the game down to Oklahoma’s offense against Florida’s fast defense. I don’t buy that in the least. Both teams show amazing offensive prowess, but I will have to give the defensive edge to Florida.

This game will showcase two Heisman quarterbacks, and should be one of the most exciting games of the season. On Florida’s side is one of the most talented quarterbacks in college football, Tim Tebow. He runs like a fullback, and has incredible arm strength. He has really worked on his passing accuracy, and throws very few interceptions. Sam Bradford, this years Heisman winner, is an amazing athlete, and is deserving of the prestigious award.

Anyway, my plans are to watch tomorrow night, and hopefully see the Gators bring home another national title. The big question for me is going to be which seat in the den to enjoy the game on. It’s either going to be on the couch or in my Gator chair.

Two questions for you. Please comment, but be nice. Who will walk away with the national title? Which seat?

Florida Gators Looking Pretty Good

In case you don’t know by now, let me state I am unapologetic in being a Florida Gator fan. I only follow two sports, though, so I might not be classified as a real fan. The two college sports I follow are football and basketball; baseball, tennis, soccer and others just don’t seem to hold the same attention as the first two.

Many people didn’t give the Gators much of a chance to be in the title game, especially after losing by one point to Ole Miss in September. After that loss, however, Florida has been playing with more passion and intensity.  Many commentators, bloggers and media gave the Gators little chance to win against Alabama’s powerhouse team. Florida keeps pressing forward, though.

I wrote a post in September about the possibility of the Gators winning another title, and it seems that reality is getting closer all the time. Mind you, it’s not over yet, and we face a very good team in the Oklahoma Sooners. That is a team which shows balance in all aspects of the game from coaching to execution in offense, defense and special teams.

On November 28, I wrote a post entitled The Florida Gators Need Three More, in which the last games Florida needs for the title are outlined. This is not rocket science; these are just some ramblings of a Gator fan who would like to see us with another national championship to our credit. We will definitely have to wait and see what happens.

While coming home this morning from a little R&R, I was reading an article in the USA Today paper (my wife was driving) about Sam Bradford bringing pride to the Cherokee Indians. It was a good article, and revealed a lot of information about OU’s star quarterback I didn’t know. It’s good to read about young people who have their heads squarely placed on their shoulders.

As far as the Heisman Trophy goes, it appears Sam Bradford is a heavyweight in the voting, and many just walk away with that prestigious award. If he does, good for him, and it will be well earned. Please allow me to interject the fact our quarterback is not shabby, by any stretch of the imagination. It is certain, Tim Tebow is not showing the numbers he put up last year, but he has matured into a better quarterback and team leader, in my opinion.

I would like to know what you think about the title game. What are your thoughts about the teams, coaches and who will hoist the coveted trophy. Comments are welcome, but, as always, they must be civil and without profanity. Would you also take my poll?

The Florida Gators Need Three More

Well, it’s that time of year again, the time for some serious movement in the football polls. Once again, there has been change after change in the rankings, and we have seen some teams fail to play to their full potential. It has been an exciting year so far, and there are still some great contests yet to be decided.

I am unashamedly a Florida Gator fan, and have been one for more years than I can remember. While stationed in Georgia, I was surrounded by Bulldog fans, and they always let me know their team was much better. Funny, I don’t remember that being the case!

My wife and I used to pastor a church in SW Georgia, and one of our members is the consummate Bulldog fan; a look inside her house would certainly confirm that fact. There’s red and black everywhere you look, with mascots in plenteous array. She told me one time that when Georgia beat the Gators, I would have to wear a black tux and a red cummerbund to church. My reply was “I don’t have a tux.” Her reply was “I’ll buy one for you.” Funny thing is, I don’t think her husband is a Georgia fan. Hmmm!

After the Gators had bulldog for lunch a few weeks ago, I got a pleasant call from Georgia. After my greetings, I heard the sweet refrain of “Ain’t it great to be a Florida Gator?” That was music to my ear, and would love to have heard it again. I had to make the call last year, and it was difficult, to say the least. She lamented the fact I didn’t sound very enthused when saying “Go, Bulldogs!” My reply? “I’m just not used to making the call and don’t have much experience.” She was not impressed.

One of my favorite holidays was celebrated yesterday, and I am grateful for the opportunity to offer thanks to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and God, the Father. The Spirit of God is my comforter, and I am thankful for God’s love and care for me and my family. I hope you have much to be thankful for, too.

As we near the end of this football season, I am reminded to be thankful for the one loss our team endured – Ole Miss winning by one point in a disastrous game in September. Thankful for a loss? Absolutely. It’s all in how you look at things. I tell my congregation all the time “your attitude affects your altitude.” Thank you, Ole Miss, for waking up the giant in us. Thank you for causing the Gators to come away from that embarrassing loss with a renewed determination to excel. Thank you for causing the Gators to play to their full potential. It should be noted the rest of the SEC probably isn’t too thankful for that one loss.

This post isn’t about stats and figures; it’s about our need to take care of three more games in order to hoist the national championship trophy again. Three games await us, three games will challenge us, and three games will decide whether or not our team is as good as they have been playing since the Ole Miss game.

My church clerk is a serious FSU fan, and my Sunday School Superintendent is a Miami Hurricane fan, which leaves me as the only Gator fan in the office. That’s perfectly alright with me, though. We all joke about FSU having a pretty good team when all the players are there and not being detained because of off-field antics. Coach Bowden has certainly had his share of players who have had to endure much needed discipline.

Our first hurdle is FSU, and that should be a pretty good game. I’ve said they have a decent defense which looked intimidating at times. Our defense has certainly become mature over the course of the season, and can stand toe-to-toe with any team. FSU’s defense has proven formidable during several games this year, but has also been shown to be quite porous, too. They just haven’t been consistent.

Our offense, defense and special team play has been nothing short of remarkable since that one point loss to Ol’ Miss. Actually, it was pretty good before that game, too, but all three areas have moved up to a higher level. The question is, can the Gators sustain their momentum? In my opinion, the answer is a resounding “yes.”

After the FSU game, we play for the SEC championship against a pretty good ‘Bama team. They are the default No. 1; in my opinion, there’s several other teams which should be rated in the slot they currently hold. Remember, they still have to get by Auburn, which they should do handily. Don’t count them as winners, though, as in-state rivalry games seems to throw out all the norms. Auburn could walk away tomorrow with a win.

The Crimson Tide have been close to losing several games this year to teams that should have been blown off the field by them. To say it kindly, the Tide has won several games by just a hair, which doesn’t show them as being worthy of the No. 1 slot. Florida, on the other hand, has offered up some pretty lopsided scores over the past couple of months.

Should we win over FSU and ‘Bama, we will most surely play for the national championship. I am not going to speculate who our opponent will be, but it will be a worthy opponent. To get to the title game, though, the Gators need to make sure the real Gators show up tomorrow and to the SEC championship. If the Gators play as well during the next two games as they have over the course of the last several weeks, we will surely come out on top.

What are your thoughts about the matter? Do you think the Florida Gators have a good shot at winning the BCS title?

Florida Gators over LSU Tigers

What a night. Florida came out on top 51 -21 in a game which featured a slew of offensive weapons from the quarterback Tim Tebow to the jet-like Percy Harvin. The fact is, it was a team effort and was the best showing for the Gators in quite a while. They played a magnificant game.

Tebow has lots of help this year, including two speedsters in Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey. Let me make this very clear – these two guys can run. When the game was over, Demps had 129 yards to his credit, and Rainey contributed 66 more yards to the 265 total yards on the ground. Talk about being lopsided. How about 475-321 Florida over LSU.

Kick return specialist Brandon James made significant plays, too. As one TV commentator mentioned, it’s amazing teams kick the ball to him. It would be impossible to name everyone who contributed to this lopsided Gator win.

I don’t want to forget about two others who made significant offensive contributions: Louis Murphy was involved in a 67-yard touchdown drive and Kestahn Moore who also ran in for a score.

Let me clarify something right up now, and that is we have an outstanding defense. The entire defense and special teams played with energy and fire tonight like I haven’t seen in quite a while. Even Brandon Spikes ran an 52-yard interception back for a score.

Gator Football Looks Different

Albert

I know what you’re thinking, the Gators are winning and looking pretty good, and you’re absolutely right. Week after week they have been working steadily while on their way to another division title, then a third national title. It’s never an easy road, but I believe the Gators can manage the task again. It’s hard for any team to excel on both sides of the ball, but the Gators look like they have managed to do just that.

The South Eastern Conference (SEC) is a perennial powerhouse of schools who have the potential to become national title holders in any given year. As of this writing, there are six SEC teams in the top 25: Georgia (3), Florida (4), LSU (5), Alabama (8), Auburn (15) and Vanderbilt (21). That’s pretty impressive by anyone’s standards, don’t you think? Some would argue the SEC is the best conference in college football, and there seems to be a lot evidence in favor of that statement.

In order for the Gators to run the table, we’ll have to go through some pretty rough terrain. The Ole Miss Rebels come to The Swamp today, and that’s not going to be an easy game. There’s no doubt in my mind about the Gators winning, though. There is so much talent and drive in the SEC, that several of the teams could actually compete for the national title and win. This is one tough conference, so Florida has a lot of work in store before claiming the two titles: conference then national. It can be done, though.

For anyone interested, here’s the Gator schedule; you can see we’ve got a tough one. I would just about match our schedule with anyone’s in the country.

Here’s what’s so different this year: we have a good offense, and a good defense to supplement it. Another way to look at things is we have a complete package this year. I have heard many people bemoan the fact we’re not getting 50-60 points per game, and that’s certainly true. I would rather keep plugging away like we are than losing any games. Sure, it’s not quite as exciting as watching Tim Tebow put up ridiculously high numbers like last year, but what we’re doing can possible bring another championship to Titletown.

Our defense is looking good, and have done a superb job stopping the run this year. Teams just aren’t getting high numbers against this stingy defense, and that works in our favor. Special teams are playing at a high level, too.

When you put the whole package together, we have a very good team in all areas of the game. I know we look different compared to last year, but that’s perfectly alright with me. Keep winning like we have been, and it looks like we will upset the doubters. Different is not always a bad thing.

What do you think? Do the Gators look like they can bring another title home, or do you think they will fold during the season?